One technology regarding a communication system for allowing a mobile terminal to communicate via an access point apparatus is described in patent document 1 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-345819). The technology described in patent document 1 is regarding an authentication procedure between a mobile station and an access point apparatus. According to this technology, in order to obtain a final permission in the authentication procedure, the mobile station requesting authentication notifies a network administrator that the mobile station is in the relevant area and demands that the network administrator should indicate whether the mobile station is permitted or not.
With the technology described in patent document 1, the mobile station requesting authentication notifies the network administrator that the mobile station is in the relevant area, using a display device, a speaker or the like. It is not sufficient to merely notify the existence of the mobile station for the following reason. Where, for example, a plurality of mobile stations are requesting authentication at the same time, the network administrator cannot identify each of the plurality of mobile stations and thus cannot determine which mobile station is to be permitted for connection and which mobile station is not. In addition, the mere notification of the existence cannot sufficiently attract attention of the network administrator for the following reason. Where a plurality of mobile stations requesting authentication are already listed on the display device, a mere addition of a new mobile station on the display may be missed by the network administrator.
A feature of certain exemplary embodiments is to provide a communication system capable of accurately notifying the existence of a plurality of communication terminals requesting a permission for connection, and a communication program and a connection control apparatus usable for the same.
Certain exemplary embodiments have the following aspects to attain the features mentioned above. The reference numerals, additional explanations and the like in parentheses in this section of the specification indicate the correspondence with the exemplary embodiments described later for easier understanding and do not limit the certain exemplary embodiments described herein in any way.
A first exemplary embodiment is directed to a communication system comprising a connection control apparatus (1) for controlling connection to a network (2); and a communication terminal (game apparatus 10) communicable with the connection control apparatus. The communication terminal includes connection request means (CPU core 21 for executing steps S23, S26 and S27). The connection request means transmits a connection request (FIG. 12) to the connection control apparatus. The connection request includes communication terminal information (identification information 53 or user name information 55) for identifying the communication terminal and display manner information (signal flag 62) representing a display manner (normal display shown in FIG. 13 or emphasized display shown in FIG. 14) in which the communication terminal information is displayed on a display device (display section 3c) of the connection control apparatus. The connection control apparatus includes display control means (information processing section 3a for executing steps S56 and S57) and selection means (information processing section 3a for executing step S61). The display control means displays particulars of the communication terminal information included in the connection request, transmitted from the communication terminal, in the display manner represented by the display manner information included in the connection request. The selection means allows a user to select whether the communication terminal corresponding to the communication terminal information displayed on the display device is to be permitted for connection or not.
In a second exemplary embodiment, the communication terminal may further include input acceptance means (CPU core 21 for executing step S25) and request generation means (CPU core 21 for executing steps S26 and S27). The input acceptance means accepts a predetermined operation from the user (operation on the touch panel 15). The request generation means generates a connection request with the particulars of the display manner information being varied in accordance with whether the predetermined operation has been accepted or not.
In a third exemplary embodiment, the input acceptance means may detect whether or not the predetermined operation has been made at an interval of a predetermined time duration. In this case, the request generation means transmits a connection request each time the input acceptance means detects whether or not the predetermined operation has been made.
In a fourth exemplary embodiment, the request generation means may transmit a connection request including display manner information representing a first display manner (emphasized display) when the input acceptance means detects that the predetermined operation has been made, and may transmit a connection request including display manner information representing a second display manner (normal display) which is different from the first display manner when the input acceptance means detects that the predetermined operation has not been made.
In a fifth exemplary embodiment, the communication terminal information may include user information (user name information) which is set by the user in the communication terminal.
A certain exemplary embodiment may be provided as a connection control apparatus included in the communication system or as a storage medium having stored thereon a communication program for causing a computer to execute functions of the communication terminal included in the communication system.
According to the first exemplary embodiment, the display manner of the communication terminal information displayed on the display device of the connection control apparatus varies in accordance with the particulars of the display manner information included in the connection request. Owing to this, even when a plurality of communication terminals request connection at the same time, the user can easily identify the communication terminals by the display manner. The user cannot mistakenly take a game apparatus to be permitted for connection for a game apparatus not to be permitted for connection, or vice versa. The network administrator cannot miss the existence of a new communication terminal requesting connection. The user can be accurately notified of the existence of the plurality of communication terminals requesting permission for connection.
According to the second exemplary embodiment, in accordance with whether or not a predetermined operation is performed by the user, the particulars of the display manner are changed and thus the display manner of the communication terminal information displayed on the display device is changed. Owing to this, the user himself/herself can change the display manner, and can clarify the difference between the display manner of the communication terminal information representing the user's own communication terminal and the display manner of the communication terminal information representing another communication terminal. Therefore, the probability at which the user mistakenly takes his/her own communication terminal for another communication terminal is lowered.
According to the third exemplary embodiment, the input from the user is accepted at an interval of a predetermined time duration, and a connection request including the display manner information reflecting the input from the user is transmitted at an interval of the predetermined time duration. Owing to this, the input from the user can be reflected on the display manner of the communication terminal information displayed on the display device in real time. For example, when the user performs a predetermined operation three times at an interval of 1 second, the display manner of the communication terminal information changes three times at an interval of 1 second. Thus, the difference between the display manner of the communication terminal information representing the user's own communication terminal and the display manner of the communication terminal information representing another communication terminal is more clarified. Therefore, the probability at which the user mistakenly takes his/her own communication terminal for another communication terminal is lowered.
According to the fourth exemplary embodiment, the communication terminal information is displayed on the display device in one of two display manners. Thus, a data amount which can have binary values (i.e., 1 bit) is sufficient for the display manner information. This reduces the data amount of the connection request, and thus reduces the data amount required for the communication between the connection control apparatus and the communication terminal. In the case where the input from the user is reflected on the display manner of the communication terminal information in real time as by the third aspect, two display manners are sufficient to clarify the difference between the communication terminal information representing the user's own communication terminal and the communication terminal information representing another communication terminal.
According to the fifth exemplary embodiment, the user information on the communication terminal requesting registration is displayed on the display device. Since the user information is set by the user himself/herself, the user can easily distinguish whether or not the communication terminal requesting registration is his/her own communication terminal upon checking the user information. This prevents the user from mistakenly registering somebody else's communication terminal.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the certain exemplary embodiments described herein will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.